Under the banner of ‘Nela Talli Farmer Producer Company (FPC) Limited,’ some women are selling pulses at the Collectorate. These pulses were produced by farmers under non-pesticide management (NPM) system.
Nela Talli Farmer Producer Company is located at Kohir mandal, in which as many as 1,006 farmers are members. Of them, 30 farmers are producing pulses under NPM.
The officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDO) have procured five quintals of raw pulses from the farmers and it was able to produce 3.9 quintals of fine pluses. Both red gram and green gram pulses are being sold in half kilogram and kilogram packets. Red gram is being sold for ₹ 95 per kilogram followed by green gram ₹ 120 per kilogram. The response from the public is satisfactory.
However, these pulses are yet to be certified by any agency. It would take some more time though these pulses are grown under NPM. “We are at the beginning stage and it would take some time to involve more farmers in this activity. Once the farm produce levels increase we will take up that activity as well,” said Ch. Sridevi, Assistant Project Manager (APM), Farmers Producers Organisations, Sangareddy.
There are 119 Farmers Producers Groups (FPG) in the district and only one Nela Talli Farmer Producer Company was created in the district in which 58 FPG groups are members. Though about ₹ 50 lakh was released to do business under the Nela Talli FPC, the business could not develop to the expected level and the reasons cited were lack of coordination at State and district level. The FPC has been procuring fertilizers from the market and selling it to farmers. Likewise it has been procuring red gram and green gram from farmers and selling them in the market.
“We have no clear instructions on how to proceed. Market sources were also clearly identified. We cannot take decisions on our own. Now the process is on to streamline the business,” said another officer.
